Day 2. 10 things challenge

Day 2 and all is going well. Just finishing off my second water bottle as I type. I went to the midday Bikram class and it was far less intimidating, but no less hard. I think my muscles seized after yesterday's strength stuff. I can hardly touch my toes which is not at all normal for me.

Run: 47:56 | 8.01km | 5m59s/km. Speed session. Warm up of 2.5km, main session 6x 500m efforts with standing rest. Three of these done into a strong headwind and accompanying rain. 2.5km cool down.

Day 1. 10 things challenge

One reading session per day. Minimum 15 mins. √
Two bottles (750ml) of water to be consumed each day. √
Three strength/small weight sessions for the week. √ 1/3
Four scheduled training runs. x Rest day
Five days of Fitday √ 1/5
Six-ty second plank per day √
Seven days of Vibrams - wear them around the house everyday. √ 1/7
Eight push ups per day. √
Nine thirty bed time Mon - Thurs. √
Ten days of bikram yoga √ 1/10

Today was my first ever Bikram session. It kicked my butt. I was so afraid of passing out with the combination of not eating prior to the session, the heat and the intensity of some of the poses. Tell me it gets easier?! This is going to be the toughest of the challenges.

This week's challenge: 10 things

Let's face it, I have plenty of time on my hands and I know I could be doing more for my health and well-being. So in the lead up to my half marathon next weekend I've decided I'm really going to focus on looking after myself this week both physically and mentally. With my ten things:

One reading session per day. Minimum 15 mins.
Two bottles (750ml) of water to be consumed each day.
Three strength/small weight sessions for the week.
Four scheduled training runs
Five days of Fitday
Six-ty second plank per day
Seven days of Vibrams - wear them around the house everyday.
Eight push ups per day.
Nine thirty bed time Mon - Thurs.
Ten days of bikram yoga.

If I manage to hold my end of the bargain for the week and do the 10 consecutive days of bikram I will treat myself to another half hour massage on top of the one I'm going to earn from the Man with the challenge we have going that involves cooking meat!

Hitting the pavement

Literally. I'm running along and the next thing in slow motion I'm superman-ing along the pavement. Thinking I can't believe I just tripped over. I left a fair bit of skin from my inner elbow and of course the palms haven't gone unscathed. Ouch!

Run: 50m | 7.84km | 6m 23s/km.

Hindsight

...is a wonderful thing. When we were in NYC we checked out a couple of bike stores and when I saw the clif shot bloks (that I so frequently read as snot bloks) I knew I had to get me a packet. I tried them for the first time today and I really liked them, even though they do get a bit stuck in your teeth. It's kinda nice to eat, rather than sucking on gels. I think this flavour may be discontinued though? Cran-razz. Such a shame. Given how well they went down I'm prepared to try the others.

I felt a little tired for my three hour run today. Not ideal. I had one goal and it was to be faster than last weeks long run. It didn't matter how much, but it certainly involved concentration. In the end I did run faster and over a harder course, because this foreshore run is subject to far more wind than a river run.

Run: 3:08:20 | 28.08km | 6m43s/km. Just faster than last week! I think I could have done a little better had I rested yesterday and got more sleep last night. I had some reals highs and lows on this run involving plenty of self doubt.

Thurs; commute: 1hr | slow. First time on the slow bike since I've been home! A ride into the city to meet a friend for lunch. This was after my run, my legs were shot.

Thurs; run: 48:29 | 7.71km | 6m17s/km. My first Williamstown foreshore run in a while. This is where next weekends half marathon will be held. A good reminder that a hell of a headwind can make it slow going on the way home.

Wed; run: 33:46 | 5.4km | 6m15s/km. A lap of the tan and a bit. This run was well short of the 1:20 I was meant to do. I'll be making up the time tomorrow.

Short memory

The best thing about running is the fact that you can do it anywhere and generally straight from your front door. I love that. But I was feeling as though it was time to mix things up again. Finally I got my scooter up and going again and 15 min down the road I was off to start my run in Essendon, still by the Maribyrnong river.

I went to run through the Wetlands again, but the were workmen on site, so instead I followed the bike path to steele creek. And I hit hills. I'd forgotten about hills. Not quite L'Alpe d'Huez. But it still hurt! I've been avoiding them because I know the Gold Coast Marathon is flat, but really I should incorporate them back into my weekly running, because if I can run strong on the hills imagine what I can do on the flat!

I was treated to some giant thistles, gorgeous birds and the changing leaves. I'm looking forward to exploring there some more.

Run: 50m 02s| 8.03 kms | 6m 14s/km. I started off far too fast. Never mind the hills slowed me down significantly.

It stopped raining!

Happy, happy, joy, joy. It feels like it's been raining forever! I've been trying to get my long run in since Friday. Thankfully this morning provided me with two hours and forty minutes sans precipitation. I got further than I have in a while making it to the Afton Street Conservation reserve which seems to have just opened. It made a nice change of scenery from the Maribyrnong river path, the area offers softer ground and some hills. I'm going to make a concerted effort to mix up my run locations this week.

Run: 2h 43m 03s | 24km | 06m 47s/km. Eh, it wasn't fast, but the best thing? It's done! Yay. I took three Gu but only ate two. I nearly gagged on the tri-berry, but the Espresso love went down fine. I stopped briefly at 2 hours just to swing the legs out, they were getting over the repetition. I found when I stopped concentrating on my form I really slowed down.